Bee-keeper&#39;s knife.



PATBNTED MAR. 31, 1908.

H. J. roman. BEE KEEPERS KNIFE.

APYLIOATIOI FILED IUI B 13, 1 907.

\m w m I INVENTOR,

ATTORNEK UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY'J. PORTER, OF SAN LUIS QBISPO, CALIFORNIA.

Ban-mama's!!! Specification of LettezuPafient. Batented'liarh 31, 1908.

Application medium 1a, 1907. Serial x... mm.

-' Bee-Keepers Knives,of whic the following is'a specification.

The object of the I resent inventionis to provide a knife for t e use of'beekeepers,

. which will facilitate the removal of the wax cappings from "the honey combs. .In so re moving this ca ping it is necessary that the knife with which the capping is out should be kept hot, and it is the common practice of bee-keepers at the present time to heat the knife b dipping it at frequent intervals'in a pan 0 hot' or boiling water. But this method is slow and re uires skill and long experience to successful practice it, as the knife quickly becomes co (1 and requires to be reheated one or more times in cutting off a sin fille capping.

e present invention provides a knife. by means of which the cappings can be removed rapidly and in a single operation for each ca ping, even by an inexperienced erson.

- n the accompanying vdrawing, igure is a perspective view of my improved kmfe;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the blade thereof; Fig. 3 is a .cross sectionof the same;

Fig.4 'isa perspective view showing the knife in use. a

Referring to the 'drawin ,1 indicates the blade of the knife, whichis ollow, as shown,

' the under surface thereofbeing com aratively flat, and the u per surface curved, and-forming wit the lower surface two shar edgest2;; The. interior of said blade is divided by a longitudinal centralpartition 3 extendingfrom the base of; the.

lade to near the pointthereoL-thusi formin two chambers 4, 5, connected with sec blade is the one lateral extension 6 which is connected with a' handle 7 after the manner of a trowel handle. With the chambers in the hollow blade are" conlrliected at the base two short eac i e being curved throng a. right angle iii the direction to'the right 'or downwards in the position in which the blade is generally held. Theleft or hi her side of the enerally use in cuttin the stroke being made upward, thev other si eof the blade being occasionally used in making eing pipes 8, '9,

Y a downward stroke. With the pipe 8 connected with the upper chamber 4 of the blade is connected the end of the rubber tube 10, which at its other end is connected with a short pipe 11 leading from .a boiler 12 containing water and a an suitable burner, own at 13. In said boiler, steam is generated, which passes by means .of the flexible tube ,10 to the upper chamber 4 of the blade, then passing to the pointed end thereof, and thenaround the end of the partition 3 to the lower chamber 5.

tendsto a suitable distance to exhaust the steam without danger of burning the hand of the operator. The m'ethod'of using the invention will be readily understood. from the foregoing descri tion. By meansof the steam from the ho er the blade is maintained at a temperature am l-y sufficient to cut the waxcapping, and as t temperature is uniform the opera tion of cutting can be carried on rapidly and continuously without the necessity of reheating, and, moreover, the cut thus made is much cleaner than when the knife is insufficiently or-irregularly heated. In the latter case the resultis tha on account of the uper edges of the cell walls ofthe comb being distorted, the honey does not flow readily therefrom. When a clean cut is made, leavsaid edges in their natural sham, the honey can readily escape from the ca 1. A bee-keeper's knife comprising a hollow'blade'havin a shar edige, a handle attached to said b ade an a exible tube attachedto said blade andadapted to convey la heated fluid thereto, substantially as described. A bee keepers knife comprising a holl lade having asharp edge, a handle atother only nea'rthe point. Said bladl'has :a; 45

l't to said 1vblade and flexible tubes at- "jftached to said blade and ada ted to convey a'heated fluid to and-from t e blade, substantiall as described. v

3."A 'ee-keepers knife comprising a hollow blade having a sharp edge, and having a longitudinal partition dividin the blade into chambers, a handle attache to said blade and [a flexible tube attached to'said blade and adapted to convey a heated fluid thereto, substantiall as described.

. 4.;A beeeepers knife comprising a holapted to be heated by S The exhaust steam then escapes by the pipe 9 into a-flexible exhaust tube 14, which ex-- Q eeeses low blade he a. sharp ed e, a handle atmy hand in the presence of two subscribing fielied todsalgl figlde 01bit of t e plane of; tllie mtnesses. 1 ee,an a emf eigu econnecte wit be interior of the blade and adapted to convey HENRY PORTER 5 a heated fluid thereto, substantially as de- Witnesses:

' scribed. C. L. HOWE,

In testimony whereof'l have hereunto se I D. B. RICHARDS, 

